Senate turns down Nigeria Air plan, pushes for direct flights to China

The Senate on Tuesday turned down a proposal to revive contracts for the failed Nigeria Air project. This project was awarded by former Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika during the government of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Senate said the contracts for the airline were a waste of time. They believe further talks about it would not be useful.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio shared this decision after senators discussed a motion to strengthen the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and China.

The motion was brought forward by Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno North). It called on Bola Tinubu's government to renegotiate the agreement. This would allow Nigerian airlines to have direct flights to China.

While the lawmakers rejected bringing back Nigeria Air, they agreed that Nigeria needs a national carrier. They asked the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development to look into creating one.

Former President Buhari announced Nigeria Air just days before leaving office in May 2023. This proposed airline later faced issues, including allegations of fraud and misrepresentation.

Senator Monguno, who is also the Senate chief whip, pointed out that the bilateral agreement aimed to set up regular direct flights between Nigeria and China.

He stated that this would turn Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja into major hubs connecting West and Central Africa to East Asia.

Monguno said enforcing this agreement would cut travel time, improve supply chains, keep foreign exchange in Nigeria, and boost revenue for Nigerian airports.

He added that the benefits would include growth for small and medium-sized businesses, increased non-oil exports, and higher exports of perishable goods.

Monguno suggested that the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) could enforce the agreement. They could do this by ensuring equal flight rights, managing competition from airlines using other countries, promoting joint flight agreements, and considering temporary waivers on airport fees.

He also suggested creating a direct naira settlement option using the existing currency swap framework. This would help reduce the use of the US dollar.

Monguno urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to start talks with China about easier business visas for Nigerian traders and to secure airport slots for Nigerian airlines.

Most senators who spoke in favor of the motion supported it. Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central) said China benefits from Nigeria’s resources but does not give equal benefits back.

He criticized the lack of direct flights between Nigeria and China. He pointed out that passengers have to travel through other countries to reach their destinations.

Ned Nwoko (APC, Delta North) urged the Senate to push the federal government to bring back Nigerian Airways instead of just asking local airlines to fly directly to China.

Khabeeb Mustapha (APC, Jigawa South-west) also called for the revival of Nigerian Airways, which collapsed due to corruption and mismanagement many years ago.

Mr Akpabio criticized the current situation. He noted that Chinese airlines can fly directly to Nigeria, but Nigerian airlines cannot fly directly to China.

He said, "We are talking about the BASA agreement between Nigeria and China. If only Chinese planes can fly directly to Nigeria and Nigerian planes cannot fly to China, Nigerian businessmen going to China must use airlines like Kenyan Air and Ethiopian Air. But Chinese businessmen can fly directly to Nigeria. We have over five million Chinese in Nigeria and less than one million Nigerians in China. This needs to be reviewed so Nigerian airlines can fly directly to China."

The Senate then approved the motion through a vote.

They directed the Committees on Aviation and Foreign Affairs to ensure the resolution is followed and report back within four weeks.

Mr Akpabio said Nigeria needs a national carrier that represents the country.

He reminisced, "We used to have planes flying to Saudi Arabia and other places. Back then, Nigerian Airways had about 32 planes. How did we get here?"

The Senate President expressed concern that private airlines cannot meet the demand for air travel. He added that even politicians struggle to hire private jets for campaigns.

He warned, "Watch December and the confusion. Even private airlines cannot handle it. During campaigns, we cannot find private jets to hire. The federal government should look into this to help the airlines."